Jammu: A video purportedly showing four suspected terrorists scaling Ramtund Peak in Doda district has surfaced, triggering a major anti-terror operation, officials said on Tuesday.
The Ramtund area lies close to the Seoj Dhar belt of the Udhampur district, a remote and heavily forested mountainous region used by terrorists as a route for movement and, at times, as a hideout. The difficult terrain, dense forests and connectivity with adjoining mountain areas have made the belt strategically sensitive from a security perspective.
According to official sources, some locals captured the footage and alerted the security forces late Monday afternoon. They added that the latest sighting has triggered a major search operation, with security forces combing the surrounding forests, ridgelines and mountain tracks to track down the suspected group.
Reinforcements from the Army, police and CRPF have also been mobilised from Udhampur on Tuesday morning, and a massive operation was underway when last reports were received, the sources said.
They said preliminary inputs suggest that the group may comprise three foreign terrorists and one local. However, there has been no contact with the suspected terrorists so far.
The security operation is underway, with forces conducting searches across the mountainous terrain and adjoining areas, they said.
Security agencies have maintained heightened vigilance in the region due to its use in the past as a possible infiltration, transit and concealment route by terrorists. (PTI)
Search operation launched in Poonch forests after suspicious movement
Security forces on Tuesday launched a massive joint search operation in the Mendhar sector of Poonch district after noticing suspicious movement near a tunnel under construction, officials said.
A security guard, who was on duty at the construction site, noticed the suspicious movement and fired three to four rounds of fire as a precautionary measure.
No loss of life or damage to property has been reported so far, the officials said. Following the incident, a joint search operation was launched around 6 am by personnel of police, special operation group and CRPF in the forest areas of Bhatadurian, Sangiot and adjoining areas, they said.
Further details are awaited, they said.
